India is on the brink of making history after a stellar performance against the defending T20 World Cup champions, setting the stage for a title clash with South Africa. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel shone brightly, each taking three wickets to lead India to a 68-run victory over England in the second semifinal at the Providence Stadium.
Captain Rohit Sharma was instrumental in setting up a competitive score, smashing his 32nd T20I fifty with a 39-ball 57. Alongside Suryakumar Yadav, who contributed a solid 47 off 36 balls, India posted 171/7 on a challenging pitch. England’s chase of 172 started strong with Jos Buttler hitting four boundaries, but it quickly faltered.
Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah dismantled England’s top order, with Axar getting Buttler out on his first ball and Bumrah rattling Phil Salt’s stumps with an off-cutter. Axar continued his onslaught by dismissing Jonny Bairstow for a duck, leaving England struggling at 39/3 after the power-play.
Moeen Ali’s misjudgment led to a quick stumping by Rishabh Pant, furthering England’s troubles. Kuldeep Yadav then took center stage, trapping Sam Curran lbw, taking Harry Brook’s leg-stump with a reverse-sweep, and getting Chris Jordan lbw with a spinning delivery.
Runouts of Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid added to England’s woes. The final blow came when Bumrah trapped Jofra Archer lbw, triggering celebrations as India avenged their Adelaide 2022 loss and moved one step closer to claiming the elusive T20 World Cup trophy.
India’s dominant display has set the stage for an epic final against South Africa, with the team and fans alike dreaming of World Cup glory. Stay tuned for more updates as India aims to make history.